Firefly
by Morgannae
Summary: He was a poltical assassin, she was a child. He saved her from death, she was comforted by him. As a woman, she can't recall his name or even his face. Gov't is corrupt, death rains on Kyoto, and sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. KB AU Ratings Vary
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Amazingly I've been able to finally conjure up my long-lost interest to write fanfictions and start another new literary venture. This will be a commitment that I will try to keep, so wonderful readers, be patient with me and may you enjoy what my imagination has in store for you.

Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or anything relating to the anime or manga.

Rating: Varies from PG to R among the chapters. Read at your own discretion.

Category: Drama, Science Fiction/Supernatural, Alternate Universe, some Angst; and the occasional OOC: Out of Character

Firefly

The Prelude

**A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon – Napoleon**

"_I thought he and I had an agreement! Katsura is insane to have started the revolution now! The country has barely recovered from the war waged twenty years ago! I demand to know what is going on, and I refuse to comply with any requests from him until I know what the hell is happening."_

_A young man stood up from a stone bench; one hand casually slipped into the pocket of his trench coat and tossed a manila envelope to the older, gruffer gentleman behind him. The gruff man feigned coolness and carefully ripped open the envelope only to find a black, smaller and coarser envelope within. _

"_My apologies, but I know of nothing regarding the issue between you and him. As for the revolution, no agreement could have prevented Lord Katsura from making the decision he did. The time was right; the people were ready; and the revolution began. I suggest that you comply with Lord Katsura's request, and that you place aside any embitterment you may feel in the broken contract you and him now share. If there is any further development in the matter I'm sure you will be contacted." _

_The young man straightened his shoulders and began to quietly assimilate into the hustle and bustle of the crowded Tokyo street, when a sudden cynical chuckle from behind halted his movements._

"_Katsura must love having you around, kid. You've really bought into the bullshit he's been talking about haven't you? Don't you see? You're just a pawn in his little game. We're all pawns, waiting to be sacrificed into this 'ideal' he's created. This isn't a revolution; it's a war of the fittest. You may not have been around to see the fucking atrocities civil wars and revolutions have caused, but I sure as hell have." The man snorts and stands up. "You suggest that I comply with his requests, I suggest that you get your naïve ass out of this before you're waist deep in this idealistic shit."_

_With his jaws tightening and grinding into his bones, the young man deeply struggled to keep cool against the fury burning within his chest. He heard a shuffle behind him as the older figure began to limp away. Another cynical cackle breaks the silence between them._

"_I've seemed to have upset you. The Bakufu better be careful with you. I'm sure that anger will definitely do you well amidst the pandemonium in Kyoto." With another sarcastic snort, and another shuffle, the man disappeared into the broken alleys of Tokyo. _

_Lightly shaking away stray crimson locks from his fiery view, the young man swallowed his rage and stepped into the boisterous morning crowd. He had only a few days to make it back in Kyoto and he had no time for loitering._

"_Why did daddy leave Dr. Gensai?" _

_Dr. Gensai looked down at the sweet young girl before him. She was clutching his shirt with her little fists, searching his face with her bright blue, tear-strained eyes for the answer to her sorrow. It broke the old doctor's heart to see her so pained without her father, but he also knew by looking through her despairing and expressive eyes that to tell her of war and the flaws of man would be too much for a girl only five years of age. Reaching around with his weathered hands, Dr. Gensai held the little sweetheart against his chest and muttered the only euphemized answer he knew. _

"_Sometimes, my little one, adults need to attend to important businesses far, far away, and even fight for things that—"_

"_What things Dr. Gensai? Why would daddy go fight? I thought daddy always wanted to protect people, not fight them? I heard you talking to daddy before about a…a… reblu-shun or something!"_

_Dr. Gensai's eyes suddenly widened and in seeing him slightly taken aback, Kaoru immediately dropped her view in shy shame._

"_I… I know mommy always told me it was wrong to eavesdrop, but...but I had to know where daddy was going. I wanted to know why he was leaving us." _

_Dr. Gensai subtly smiled and tilted her chin up with his fingers. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks. _

"_Why Dr. Gensai? If it is dangerous like you said to daddy that night, why did he go? Why isn't daddy here Dr. Gensai?"_

"_Listen little Kaoru. I don't think _anyone_ can always answer with the _real_ reason 'why'. But I know one thing, and that is that your father isn't just fighting for just anything. Your father left to fight for your protection. He wants you to have a childhood he couldn't have, he wants you to have a wonderful new era to live in. He wants the best for you. That's why he left. He wants to give you everything in the world that he never got--"_

_Kaoru buried her face into the doctor's chest and choked out a sob._

"_But I don't want everything in the world… I just want daddy!"_

_The old doctor smiled a soft, pensive smile, and comforted her gently with a rub on her back. _

"_I know my little one, I know. But I assure you, everything will be alright."_

"_You promise? Oh please promise me Dr. Gensai! Promise me daddy will come back!" _

_Although hating to lie to Kaoru, he knew he had no choice. The way her sad hopeful eyes looked at him made him want nothing but to take the pain away from her fragile soul. Dr. Gensai ignored the nagging guilt already building in his chest and soothingly replied._

"_Yes. I promise little Kaoru. Daddy will come back."_

_After many emotionally draining hours comforting Kaoru and finishing up the day's last prescriptions to his patients, Dr. Gensai found himself very relieved to have finally accomplished his daily tasks and putting Kaoru to bed. He had decided to let her stay at his home and clinic for a while until he could find a good family friend or nurse to assist in his guardianship to Kaoru. Although Dr. Gensai had had children and grandchildren of his own, having to suddenly take care of such a young girl while running a clinic at his age was definitely difficult to juggle. Kaoru's father had tried very hard to avoid the calling of the revolution, but after many months trying to fend off the draft he knew he had no choice but to finally leave. Dr. Gensai remembered the conversations he had with the late Kamiya-Kasshin master. He was always so strong, level-headed, and spoke of nothing but what was best for the country and for his only daughter. But beyond the tough exterior, Dr. Gensai could always see the underlying concern in the man's eyes. He was worried, so worried, for his little girl. He wanted to help fight for a better and freer Japan, but the welfare of Kaoru always held him back. Dr. Gensai had persistently promised to take care of Kaoru if he wanted to leave, but he always insisted that he wasn't going to fight. He refused the police and everyone else that came to his dojo; until finally, _they_ came. _They_ told him that the revolution would soon spread to Tokyo, and that if he did not join to fight the cause and utilize his skills in swordsmanship, the very protection he sought for his daughter would be taken away by the fires of war. _

_Dr. Gensai silently made his way upstairs and into Kaoru's room. Trying to prevent the usual creeks of his antique home, he carefully opened door. Seeing the serene image of Kaoru sleeping in the moonlit sea of fluffy white comforters and pillows, made the old doctor suddenly feel a painful knot catch in the depths of his throat. Why must such innocent souls pay for the crimes of corrupt men? Why must such sweet girls have to cope with the pain of loss, the sorrows of death, and the loneliness of life at such a tender age? What has Kaoru ever done but love – but wonder – and live life with all it has to offer? After so many decades of fighting, was peace too much to ask for?_

_Stepping into the room, the old doctor quietly shuffled to the bed and sat down on the edge. Taking his wrinkled hand, Dr. Gensai lifted it up and softly caressed aside loose strands of hair from Kaoru's porcelain brow. Watching his god-daughter's calm steady breathing, Dr. Gensai suddenly hit a realization and felt the strings of grief tug at his heart. He was most likely sitting next to the only surviving Kamiya. He blinked back tears that his aged heart longed to let out. He had always thought of the Kamiya's not only as his kind and loving neighbors, but rather as extended family. From the day Kaoru's parents moved into the house down the street to the day Kaoru's father left to fight, he was always there to help the Kamiya's._

_A sudden faint calling broke Dr. Gensai's thoughts. Someone was hammering on the clinic's doors with great urgency. Cautious to not wake the sleeping girl, the doctor got up from the bed and quickly made his way downstairs._

_A muffled – yet familiar – voice was shouting through the clinic's hardwood doors._

"_Dr. Gensai! Dr. Gensai! We need your help! Please hurry! "_

_Dr. Gensai walked to the large doors and unlocked them. He opened the door slightly and peered through. _

_In front of him stood a tall well-built man in his early twenties; his hair was disheveled and his clothes were covered in perspiration. Even though at first puzzled as to who this man was, Dr. Gensai soon recalled the familiar voice that was only heard moments ago. This mess of a man and his family were patients of his for many years._

"_My God Kyosuke! Are you alright? You're going to wake the whole neighborhood with your hollering."_

"_I'm sorry Dr. Gensai. I know you're already closed for the night, but it's – it's Naomi!" Kyosuke panted, "She's gone into labor!"_

"_What? But she isn't due for another three weeks!"_

"_I- I know sir. But her water just suddenly broke." The old doctor pushed aside the door and let the frantic man into the clinic. "She's in a lot pain, she's panicking – Hell, _I'm_ panicking! I wanted to take her to the hospital on the other side of town but I was afraid we wouldn't make it! Oh God, I – I don't know what to do Dr. Gensai!"_

_Dr. Gensai closed the door and sighed. "It's going to be alright. Just calm down for a moment and breathe; panicking won't do anyone good."_

_Kyosuke turned and faced Dr. Gensai with a frenzied look. _

"_Please Dr. Gensai," he pleaded, "Please come help Naomi. I… I don't know what to do."_

_The doctor's mind immediately focused on the young girl sleeping in the room upstairs._

"_I… I'm sorry Kyosuke. But isn't Mrs. Yamashiro available to help tonight? She is a very well certified nurse and midwife. I believe she would be of more use to you in this situation. Why," Dr. Gensai feigned a chuckle, "I'm just an old doctor running a small clinic! I don't even remember the last time I helped deliver a baby." _

_The color drained from Kyosuke's face. _

"_But, but Dr. Gensai! Mrs…Mrs. Yamashiro is out of town. Every liable doctor is out of town besides you!"_

_The doctor's eyes held for a moment before suddenly breaking eye-contact from Kyosuke and walking to the counter against the wall. Pretending to tidy up some equipment still atop, he tried to cover his realized mistake with a slight kind of obtuseness._

"_Oh. Why isn't that strange." He pondered aloud, "I thought they would've been back by now."_

_Kyosuke froze and stared at the doctor. He had known the doctor long enough to notice what the man was doing: he was trying to avoid leaving the clinic. But why would a man of such ethics as himself do such a thing? The earlier desperate furrow in his brow was suddenly replaced by an almost disgusted scowl of disbelief._

"_Be back by now? They never planned to 'be back' from the beginning. After hearing that the revolution may spread to Tokyo, all of them fled! They ran away and left us all here to fight for them! They're useless cowards! We have just as much to lose as they do, but we didn't run! We refused to let fear govern our lives and chose to live like life was met to be lived!"_

_Kyosuke's rough hands curled into fists so tight that his knuckles bulged white. _

"_But they… they all fled like the cowards they are!" _

_Shocked at the outburst from the once gentle and passive man he knew, Dr. Gensai was rendered speechless. He wasn't sure if there was anything he could say now to comfort him. After a few intensely silent moments, Dr. Gensai inhaled deeply and finally spoke in a near inaudible whisper._

"_Kyo – Kyosuke. Please calm down."_

"_DON'T tell me to calm down! I have a wife in labor, the revolution is waging closer everyday, and now you – the only doctor left in the area – has basically refused to help us! She's had two previous miscarriages and she could easily lose this baby as she did before! She could LOSE it Dr. Gensai! You of all people know this the best! And yet… yet… you've made it clear you won't come!"_

_Kyosuke paced aimlessly in small frantic circles before suddenly collapsing to his knees in anguish and shoved his face into the floor in a bow. His body shook as if the bones of a broken man rattled within him. _

_After a few painful seconds, his voice choked out in rasped fragments._

"_Please Dr. Gensai. Please… I beg of you. Naomi and the baby are everything to me. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to them… I don't know what I'd do…" _

_Trailing off in broken sobs, Kyosuke gasped in shattered breaths._

_Seeing the terrified and panic-stricken mess of a man before him, Dr. Gensai knew he had no choice but to go help with the delivery. Kaoru was his first priority as a guardian, but patients such as Kyosuke and his family were his first priority as a doctor. Kyosuke and Naomi were still newlyweds and to leave such an inexperienced couple without any proper medical assistance during such a difficult process would be extremely dangerous for both the mother and the unborn child. As a doctor, and as a just man, he couldn't allow such risks to happen. _

_But what was he going to do with Kaoru?_

_After a short moment of deliberation, Dr. Gensai finally sighed and responded. _

"_Alright Kyosuke.. Quickly go home and boil some hot water and prepare some clean sheets. I'll be there shortly."_

_Kyosuke's sobs immediately ceased and his head snapped back to meet the eyes of the old man before him. He brightened and the color washed back into his face._

"_Are… are you…are you…?"_

_Dr. Gensai nodded solemnly. _

_Kyosuke jumped to his feet –_

"_Oh thank you, thank you Dr. Gensai! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you! "_

– _and bolted out the doors._

_The doctor sighed exasperatedly and tilted his head so that his glazed eyes met the ceiling. What was he going to do with Kaoru? Bringing her with him to the couple's house was completely out of the question; seeing something as graphic as childbirth would probably traumatize the poor thing more than she already was. But then again, he couldn't leave her alone. What if she wakes up while he's gone? What if something happens while he's out?_

_The old doctored groaned. He couldn't ignore his duty and go back on his agreement; that would be extremely unethical. But then again… what about Kaoru? It would also be unquestionably wrong as a guardian to leave her unattended. _

_Dr. Gensai knew that leaving Kaoru alone while he left was an enormous risk, but he also knew that he had absolutely no other choice. There were people that needed his immediate medical assistance, and as a doctor he could not refuse such services under such desperate circumstances._

_Getting up and walking to the back room of the clinic, Dr. Gensai began to prepare his medical tools and some painkillers. The mechanics of his mind ticked away in interrupted pulsations while his body seemed to work in rigid robotics. _

_In the matter of only minutes, he had all of the necessary equipment packed and he was ready to go. After making sure Kaoru was still sound asleep, Dr. Gensai went back downstairs to the front doors and unlatched them. Pulling open the door and reluctantly walking out into the deserted night, the doctor quickly locked the door and made his way down the street. _

_Already feeling the crushing guilt within his heart, the old doctor prayed to the heavens. _

'_Oh please protect little Kaoru. Please don't go let anything happen to her while I'm gone.'_

_Back on the second floor of the Gensai clinic, soft murmurs could be heard in the silence of the house._

"_Daddy… Daddy please… don't go…" _

_Kaoru's restless body tossed aside the bed's comforters and tiny beads of perspiration trailed down the side of her brow. The bright beams of moonlight seemed to have pierce through her eyelids and formed images of fierce flames in the young girl's mind. Unconsciously raising her arms toward the ceiling, her tiny hands reached out into the air and appeared to be frantically trying to grab hold of something, or more likely someone._

"_Daddy… Come back… Please come back!" Tears flooded her face and her murmurs suddenly became desperate cries. "Daddy! Come back daddy! I don't want you to go see mommy yet! Don't leave me… don't leave me alone!" Her throat began to catch in harsh gasps and pained sobs. "Please don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone..."_

_Suddenly, Kaoru's eyes snapped open and her torso bolted upright. As if on impulse, Kaoru immediately started to frantically scan the room for someone. Inquiring on her surroundings, Kaoru realized that she was still in Dr. Gensai's home. She grabbed one of the pillows next to her and, all while mentally commenting on her nightmare, tried to calm her breathing as she squeezed it against her chest._

'_That was really scary…'_

_After only a few quiet moments, Kaoru realized that the bed was barren and began to wonder where her comforter went. Peering over the edge of the bed and finding the comforter, Kaoru smiled inwardly at her handy work. She couldn't remember the last time she completely kicked a giant comforter off the bed._

_Crawling out of bed, she hugged the pillow against her side as she made her way out of the room. Kaoru decided to go downstairs for a glass of water. _

_Opening the door and walking out from the bright moonlit bedroom into the dark hallway suddenly made the hairs on Kaoru's back stand on end. She was scared of the dark and the hall was pitch black._

"_Dr. Gensai?" she called down the hall and staircase, "Dr. Gensai? Are you downstairs?"_

_Slowly inching her way to the staircase, Kaoru looked over the edge and sighed in relief at the sight of some light being emitted from the clinic windows. Hopping down the steps and running into the clinic's front room below, Kaoru found herself alone in the room. _

"_Dr. Gensai?"_

_Kaoru ran to the far back of the clinic to the kitchen and reached against the wall to find the light-switch. She couldn't find it._

_Now worried, and relatively scared, Kaoru decided to run to the other sides of the house in her search for the doctor. Turning around and about to run back, she suddenly noticed that a strange noise was coming from outside the kitchen window. Curious as to what the sound was, Kaoru quietly walked back to the kitchen and to the slightly opened window above. The strange hissed noise seemed to be the hushed voices of two men in the alley not too far behind the clinic. _

_Grabbing a small plastic chair in the corner of the kitchen and placing it beside the counter, Kaoru stepped onto the chair and climbed onto the countertop. Carefully, and quietly as she could, Kaoru crawled next to the window and sat between it and the kitchen sink. She then leaned in and strained her curious ears toward the deeply murmured conversation. _

"… _are you sure?"_

"_Yes, sir, I'm sure of it. I just saw him leave moments ago." _

"_And is someone on it!"_

"_Yes, sir, four of our best men are following him as we speak."_

_There is a momentary pause. One of the men let out a sinister cackle. _

"_Good. Make sure they terminate him before the night is over." _

"_Yes, sir."_

"_You're dismissed."_

_Two shadows glided over window and disappeared into silence. After hearing the men's footsteps fade away into the night, Kaoru exhaled a long-held breath and sat stiffly with her back plastered against the wall in fear. The way the men conspired between themselves and the way one man eerily cackled into the night made the goose-bumps appear on her skin. Terminate? Did they mean… kill? If so, if the "him" they were talking about had left moments ago…_

_Kaoru's gripped the pillow tightly and dug her fingers into its fabric. New tears began to fill her terrified eyes._

_Where was Dr. Gensai?_

_Driven by a new daunting fear, Kaoru leapt off the counter and ran through the house. _

"_Dr. Gensai!"_

_She ran to the bathroom, Dr. Gensai wasn't there. _

"_Dr. Gensai where are you!"_

_She ran to the living room, he wasn't there either. _

"_Dr. Gensai! Dr. Gensai, Dr. Gensai!"_

_Kaoru was becoming desperate. She ran to his room. Dr. Gensai was still no where to be found._

_Kaoru froze and stared at the room in front of her. The house was empty. _

_She had never felt more alone._

_Making a full circle back to the front room, Kaoru climbed onto one of the chairs against the wall and hugged her knees to her chest. Where was Dr. Gensai? Why were those men after someone? Was Dr. Gensai their someone?_

_She whimpered softly into the silence. "Where is everyone? I…I don't want to be alone." _

_Kaoru buried her face into her knees and sobbed. She felt so alone, and yet no one knew it but herself. No one could hear her cry but herself._

_Lifting her head up for a moment to grab the abandoned pillow on the floor, a glint caught Kaoru's attention from the corner of her eye. Wiping her nose with the back of her hand and glancing over to the space on the floor in front of her, Kaoru saw that the small dancing light before her was illuminated from the front window. She got up from her seat, snatched the pillow, and cautiously walked towards the window. Climbing onto another chair, Kaoru slipped her fingers through a section of the window's blinds and pushed them down._

_The dancing light was from a firefly. _

_Kaoru watched the little light bounce and flutter in graceful loops in the air. She smiled softly and wiped her tears on her sleeve._

_Firefly-watching had always been a favorite of hers. Kaoru remembered how her mother and father would always take her down the road to watch fireflies dance in the brush. Everything was so peaceful then._

_Somehow temporarily forgetting her lonesomeness, Kaoru felt a sudden desire to go outside and catch the glowing bug. She hopped off the chair and walked to the clinic's wooden doors and tried the doorknob. The door was locked. Glancing through the window again to make sure that the firefly was still there, Kaoru decided to run back to the kitchen and climb through the open window. _

_Getting to the kitchen floor cabinets, Kaoru once again climbed the small plastic chair onto the countertop and scrambled to the open window. Kaoru then crouched on one leg and used the other to push open wider the window. The glass pane slid aside effortlessly and Kaoru climbed onto the pane. _

_Kaoru glanced down at the drop before her and hopped off the pane. Over the years, Dr. Gensai had planted so many various flower bushes next to his clinic that when she jumped out the window she landed quite safely in a colorful bed of leaves and petals. Hoping that the firefly hadn't already flown away, Kaoru brushed off the leaves and ran around the building into the street. _

_Scanning through the obscurely moonlit street for the firefly, Kaoru found it bouncing in the distance. It was slowly fluttering away down into another road. _

_Dismissing logic with her childish mind, Kaoru called after the little bug._

"_Wait! Where are you going?"_

_It continued to float away. _

"_Wait! Wait for me firefly!"_

_Kaoru ran after it. _

_In pursuit of the lightening bug, Kaoru inattentively ran through various unfamiliar roads and alleyways. Turning corners and cutting across people's properties, she finally caught up to the little bug in an unknown wooded clearing. _

"_Aha!" Kaoru jumped and clamped her hands around the light. "I got you!"_

_Kaoru smiled at the glowing speck illuminating in her hands and then looked up to her surroundings. Her jaw dropped and a gasp escaped her throat. _

_Hundreds, maybe thousands, of fireflies surrounded her. All the tiny specks of light danced among each other, flying in beautifully rhythmic circles through the branches and bushes. Stepping forward and dropping her hands limply in awe, Kaoru's bright azure eyes stared at the bewitching seen before her. _

"_It's so pretty," she whispered, "I've never seen so many!"_

_Lost in the moment, Kaoru giggled jovially and began spinning among the thousands of luminescent specks. _

_A faint sound of a child giggling suddenly caught the attention of a young man ghostly gaiting through the brush. Slighting straining his ears, the young man recognized the giggle as one of a little girl. Wrapping the flaps of his trench coat closer to his body, he sped up his pace into quick precise steps through the undergrowth. _

_He cursed under his breath. _

"_Shit… they're going to hear her. I can't let them hurt a child on my account." _

_Tearing through the trees in lightening speed, the he ran towards the sound. _

_A twig snapped. Kaoru halted and turned toward the noise. All she was met with was darkness._

_Confused, Kaoru took a curious step toward the dark void in the bushes and spoke softly. _

"_Hello? Is anyone there?" _

_A hair-raising chuckle hissed through the air._

"_My, my, my, who do we have here?"_

_A tall lanky – yet muscular – figure stepped into the moonlight emitted from the tree canopy. The figure was dressed in a form-fitting raven ninja suit and a nightmarish black mask slashed with white. Taking another step closer to Kaoru, his terrifyingly fierce gaze pierced through the night and bore into Kaoru's soul. _

_The color drained from her fair skin and Kaoru cowered back in fear. The figure stopped his advances and diverted his gaze to the giant swarm of fireflies. _

"_So this was what you were so happy about. I can't say I don't agree with you; they are quite beautiful aren't they?"_

_He grinned and tilted his head in thought before turning his gaze back to Kaoru. Her heart stopped._

"_May I ask what a cute little girl like you is doing by yourself at such an hour? Hmm?"_

_The figure stepped toward Kaoru and, in terror, she hastily stepped back. Not realizing that she was only a few feet from a large tree, Kaoru's foot suddenly caught on a root and she clumsily fell backwards. The abhorrent figure cackled._

"_How rude. Didn't your mother ever tell you to reply to your elders when they speak to you?" He took another step. "Now, what is a cute little girl like you doing by yourself at such an hour?"_

_Kaoru cowered further and whimpered as she struggled to crawl backwards from the approaching threat. _

"_Ah. Still no answer? Well, I guess I have no choice but to teach you your manners!" _

_The figure lashed out with his talon-like hands. Kaoru screamed as she instinctively jumped back. _

"_S…Stop! Don't touch me!"_

_The figure chuckled sinisterly and proceeded to advance._

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk. Giving orders now are we? Last time I checked," He reached to his waist and drew an enormous crescent blade. "I was calling the shots!" _

_In less than a split moment, the towering shadow lunged at Kaoru and all of her senses were overcome by the most indescribable terror. Shrieks tore through the silence of the night, and before Kaoru could even realize her own screams among them, she was covered in blood. On impulse she braced for pain, but there came none. _

_Not daring to see beyond the darkness of her own clenched lids, Kaoru heard a thunderous thump at her side and whimpered as the pungent stench of blood filled her nostrils. Was it her own? Kaoru did not wish to know. Hearing the twang of a blade and still sensing the presence of someone unknown, Kaoru flipped onto her abdomen and, upon opening her tear-filled eyes, began desperately scrambling away. _

"_Help! Dr. Gens – !" _

_A rough hand clasped onto her mouth and another flipped her little trembling body around. Refusing to meet the eyes of evil, Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut and struggled to bite on the hand covering her face. Kaoru started to fight back with her tiny arms and legs when a sudden, and yet soothing, voice broke her frantic thoughts of desperation._

"_Calm down, little one, calm down! The bad man is gone."_

_Unwilling to cooperate, Kaoru continued to struggle in the man's grasp and began screaming into his hand. The voice spoke again; this time, a hint of frustration was evident._

"_Stop screaming! There are more of them out there and if they hear you they'll find us! I promise, I won't hurt you!" _

_Although first reluctant to do so, Kaoru slowly opened her eyes. _

_What she saw before her was something she was not expecting. _

_Staring directly into her terrified cerulean eyes were the intense amber ones of a younger, and very handsome, man. Thick locks of sanguine hair were tied back highly on his crown, and loose strands fell past his brow and into his intense gaze. Staring into his fierce – yet soothing – eyes, Kaoru realized that the expression the young man wore on his face was not of malice, but of utmost concern. Her tense muscles relaxed and he smiled gently. _

"_Better?"_

_Kaoru nodded slightly. _

_A sudden and deep gargle erupted from aside them. Kaoru's head characteristically snapped to look but a hand quickly reached up and covered her eyes. The kind young man whispered to her to not look, but it was too late; Kaoru saw. Lying on his stomach was the hideous excuse of a man that had lunged at Kaoru seconds before. Covered and drowning in the blood emitting from the grotesque gash in his torso, he spoke._

"_To think that… I have been defeated… by a sixteen year-old brat like you…Himura…the Battousai…" _

_The man sarcastically chortled in gargles before a last disgusting gag of suffocation tore through the night air. Everything then fell silent. Sensing a strange change in aura, Kaoru turned her eyes back to look at the boy holding her. Contrary to the defiant gaze he gave her seconds before, the boy's eyes now seemed downcast and lost deep in thought. Kaoru scanned his contemplative expression and noticed a sleek, precise cut bleeding on his left cheek. Compelled to wipe away this flaw from his beautiful appearance, Kaoru subconsciously reached out with her small fingers and brushed against it. _

_The boy's eyes suddenly lost their glaze and diverted back to look at the little girl caressing his unhealed wound. He reached up and stopped her hand with his. Minute drops of blood dribbled down her fingers._

"_I'm glad you are feeling better, but unfortunately I feel we must get moving quickly. If we stay here much longer, more bad men might find us." _

_Seeing her eyes suddenly cloaked in renewed fear, the boy smiled kindly._

"_Don't worry, I've got you." There was a slight pause as he turned his head to look around them; Kaoru followed his gaze. All around thousands of fireflies still illuminated the night with their rhythmic dance. The incident moments before hadn't phased them at all. _

"_Although," he continued thoughtfully, "I do wish we could stay longer and watch the fireflies. They are quite beautiful." _

_Wrapping his strong arms around her body, he stood up quickly and began sprinting through the woods with lightening speed. Expecting to feel the usual bounce of being casually carried, Kaoru was quite surprised to find that the young man's concise and rapid steps to be rather undeviating. Kaoru turned her head to look at her new surroundings and found that everything was zipping past them in blurs. _

_Without even thinking, Kaoru innocently blurted out in whisper. _

"_You're fast."_

_The young man chuckled inwardly at her comment and tightened his hold as he sharply veered right. The following moments passed between them in silence. Watching the placid expression on the teenage boy's face, Kaoru couldn't help feel intrigued by him. What was his name? Why was he alone like her? Did his parents go away like hers did? Caught up in her curious inquiries and the young man's lulling movements, Kaoru slowly felt weights tug at her eyelids and, unknowingly, nestled her exhausted head against his chest. _

_The young man felt the tiny girl gradually fall limp in his arms and grinned at her naïveté. Never would he imagine that anyone would fall asleep in the presence, let alone in the arms of, the notorious Battousai the manslayer. Glancing down at the girl's tranquil disposition, the young man couldn't help feel guilty for what he's put her through that night. He knew first hand that children her age shouldn't have to see such horrendous acts of violence and inhale the sinful fumes of death. He knew too well that such things, such terrible things, can easily change a person's soul. Or rather, take it away. _

_Turning to the left, the young man found a small deserted ravine and hopped in. He ran along the side of the ravine for a moment before finding an adequately sized den dug into the dirt wall. It would be suitable for them until he could figure out how to get the girl back home. Carefully laying the girl down onto a large rock in the corner of the den and making sure that she was sound asleep, he turned towards the den's opening and found the remains of an old bonfire._

_Stepping out from the hole and sweeping aside the flap of his coat, the young man bent down and proceeded to collect some dried sticks. Grabbing only what was enough to keep Kaoru warm for a couple hours, he walked back to the den with the wood and threw the pieces onto the pile of cinders and ashes. The young man then grabbed a stone lying on ground and slightly withdrew the sword at his hip. The blade glinted in the darkness. He knelt down next to the bonfire and swiftly struck the stone against the hilt of the sword. Sparks ignited and immediately the chunks of wood caught on fire. _

_Collapsing with his back against the wall, the young man groaned under his breath. How many more interruptions will he get before he can finally arrive in Kyoto by his appointed date? Lord Katsura had specifically told him to be careful and stay under the radar during his stay at Tokyo; but that obviously has proven unsuccessful. If only Takasugi was able to come and clean up his bloody messes, then maybe things would've resulted differently and he wouldn't be so delayed. Sighing in frustration, he grabbed another chunk of wood and flung it into the fire._

_Staring unflinchingly into the burning ambers before him, the young man's brows furrowed in thought as his eyes flared against the flames. How long will the carnage continue? How long will his sanity last? He reached up with his hand and touched the wound on his left cheek. The young man felt the blood dribble out as he moved his hand away and in front of his gaze. Watching the deep crimson streaks dry onto his skin, he couldn't help recalling how he had been cut several nights ago. The desperation and hatred that the man emitted through his eyes, his body, and his attacks were pathetic. He was so pathetic that killing him was made very easy; very easy until – until the final thrust. _

_Something in the man's last desperate attempt to cry out seemed to resonate through the blade as it plunged into his neck. What did he say? Why didn't he shriek in desperation or fear? Why did he cry? _

_Warriors are not supposed to cry._

_The young man dropped his hand. His eyes darkened. _

_Warriors do not cry. They can't cry._

A/N: This prelude was too long so I separated it. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. If yes, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: PG-13

Firefly

The Prelude Continued.

_Suddenly hearing a soft moan escape from the corner from the den, the young man looked over and saw a tiny figure stir. He had completely forgotten she was there. Sensing her vulnerable little body fidget in the dark, he couldn't help notice the irony of a renowned and merciless political assassin sitting in a den with a young girl. _

_For years, all his days and all his nights were covered in death, blood, alcohol, prostitutes, and other vulgarities that his many comrades – if one could call them that – enjoyed. Every night they slyly teased him for being so stubborn in his youth to refuse such luxuries and caused him to isolate himself on his own accord. He isolated himself to his duty to Lord Katsura; he isolated himself to the revolution; and he isolated himself to his own nightmares. The death haunted him. The blood and the gore tore him apart. But as the Battousai – and as broken soul – he showed no remorse or fear. All he had was his duty to the Choshu party and his duty to Japan. _

_But in recalling his earlier actions toward the girl, he began to question himself._

_The way he held her; the way he looked at her; the way he spoke to her; they were all actions he thought he had long forgotten how to do. _

_A killer isn't supposed to have a soft spot…_

_Lifting his hand up to his brow, the young man sighed. What had he got himself into? _

_Awkwardly fumbling in the dark, Kaoru groggily propped herself up on the large slab of rock. Rubbing her eyes drowsily and blinking the sleep from her eyes, she shivered instinctively at the sharp chill in the air. She sensed a warm glow illuminating ahead of her and looked up. Apparently, the same young man that had carried her earlier had found an old den and built a fire. _

_Watching the alluring flames dance against his features, she admired how the dimensions of the shadows and light accentuated his features. _

_He glanced over as the girl's big curious eyes scanned her surroundings. Seeing her shiver a second time, he got up and walked over to her._

"_Are you cold?"_

_Kaoru nodded. Undoing the straps of his coat, he shrugged it off and flung it around Kaoru's shoulders. It encompassed her completely._

"_Come," his hand nudged her between the shoulder blades, "it'll be warmer by the fire."_

_Both of them shuffled to the small bonfire and sat down. The young man exhaled evenly and collapsed back to his position against the wall. Kaoru, a little uncomfortable with a heavy coat around her, fidgeted under the fabric before finally finding a comfortable position with it all bundled against her. Several moments passed by quietly as she indulged in the radiated warmth of the small fire._

"_What were you doing out there by yourself?"_

_Somewhat caught off-guard by the sudden blunt question, Kaoru glanced up and looked at the young man. His eyes were not looking at her, but rather fixated on the flames. She dropped her gaze to the fire and wondered how he was able to stare at it without burning his eyes. _

"_I was chasing a firefly."_

_He smiled inwardly at her almost ridiculous answer. _

"_A firefly?"_

_Even though aware he wasn't looking, Kaoru nodded._

"_I used to love chasing them when my mommy and daddy used to take me out to see them in the bushes. I saw one outside and I wanted to get it."_

"_And it flew it away so you chased it?"_

_She nodded again._

"_Was the place I found you where your parents used to take you?"_

"_No. I…I don't know, maybe. It's been a long time since I went firefly watching."_

_The young man paused for a moment._

"_And your parents? Why weren't they with you earlier? You know, it's dangerous for anyone to be walking around by themselves at night," he threw in another stick to the fire, "let alone a young girl."_

_Kaoru hesitated in her answer. _

"_My mommy and daddy weren't with me because they aren't around anymore." She paused, "I don't know where mommy is. Daddy told me that she went to visit grandma and grandpa in heaven, but I don't know where that is. I miss mommy a lot, and I didn't want daddy to leave too… but… something happened and daddy went away. I asked Dr. Gensai what happened and he told me today that daddy went far away to fight somewhere. He didn't tell me where he went… but I heard them before talking about a reb…reb—"_

"_Revolution."_

_Immediately, Kaoru's head snapped up to look at the young man._

"_You know it?" Her searching eyes scanned his suddenly stagnant expression._

"_You know of the reblushun?" She knelt up and inched toward him. _

"_If you do—then ... then you must know where daddy is!"_

_Tears welled at the corners of Kaoru's eyes as she stared hopefully at him. Unaware to the tension around him, her little hands grasped his sleeve and tugged his body toward her. Although all the muscles in his body tightened, the young man's eyes glanced over at the unexpected physical contact. _

"_If you know where daddy is… please tell me. Where is daddy?"_

_He felt something inside suddenly skip at meeting her gaze. Never would he have imagined that such a young girl could have so much ardency and depth in her eyes. Hiding whatever underlying emotion he had, the young man smiled as kindly as he could and placed his hand onto hers. _

"_There, there, calm down little one. I cannot lie and say I do not know of the revolution, but I can neither say I know the whereabouts of your dad." _

_A sliver of hope faded from the girl's eyes and her hands gripped tighter._

"_But…but you must know where the reblushun is right? If you know where the reblushun is, then I'm sure daddy would be there too!"_

_The young man's lips pursed subtly as he paused in thought. _

"_The waves of revolution are occurring all through Japan. To tell you one location wouldn't only put you in danger, but it'd also do no use in terms of finding your father." _

_Kaoru's eyes dropped dejectedly. Losing her grip from his sleeve, she leaned back onto her heels. _

"_I'm sorry but I —"_

"_You're a liar."_

_He stopped at the accusation._

"_What?"_

_The girl's hands trembled as she clenched them against her lap._

"_I said… you're a liar!" Kaoru's head snapped back angrily to stare at the young man. _

"_You're lying! You know where my daddy is and you won't tell me!"_

_He tried to place his hand on her shoulder – _

"_I told you, I don't…"_

_She slapped it away. _

"_Stop it! Stop pretending! I see it in your eyes! You're lying!"_

_Shocked that a young girl could read his emotions so well, his stomach churned as he realized where the conversation might lead._

"_Please, stop. Some things aren't mean to be known, little one, you need…"_

"_Stop calling me that! I am NOT little. My name is Kaoru Kamiya, the daughter of a great swordsman! I want to know where daddy is –"_

_The young man desperately tried to grab a hold of her shoulders, "Please Kaoru, stop…"_

"—_I want to know who those men are! –"_

"_Kaoru please…"_

"—_and I want to know what is this reblushun!"_

_A sudden rush of air closed the gap between the two bodies. The young man had pulled the feisty Kaoru into an almost crushing embrace. _

_Taking a moment to lose the numbness of surprise and realize what had happened, Kaoru noticed that blood was trickling down the side of her head. His left cheek was pressed tightly against her temple. _

_A deep warning escaped from his throat._

"_Kaoru. You need to stop."_

_Characteristically stubborn and unwilling to compromise, she pushed as hard as she could out of his grasp. Looking aside while she tried to scramble backwards, Kaoru opened her mouth to further protest._

"_No. _You_ stop! You must be with the bad guys too… I heard that one say your name! Himura, he called you! Himura the Battou—"_

"_STOP!"_

_She froze._

_A barrage of dirt and rubble exploded from the wall behind her. Terrified, Kaoru screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. _

_Moments passed in nerve-wracking silence as she waited to be attacked by another shadowed figure. Not sensing anything happening or feeling any pain, Kaoru slowly opened her eyes and nervously glanced up. What she saw caught her breath. _

_In front of her was the young man, hunched over, wheezing in raspy, fragmented, pants. His face was paled into an odd – almost seemingly suppressed - savage expression while his eyes blazed dangerously. Glowing brightly in the shadow of his body, Kaoru realized that his eyes were not actually glaring at her, but rather through her._

_Hearing a crumble, Kaoru's fearful eyes followed the reach of his lean arm to beyond the side of her head. She saw that his hand was embedded into a rock slab in the wall. Watching his hand pull out from the pulverized rock-section, she saw that chunks of skin were sliced off the knuckles and his entire hand was covered in blood. _

_A rugged sigh emitted from his body and Kaoru cautiously turned back to look. The murderous look in the young man's eyes had flickered back to its original hue. Shocked at the outburst, she watched silently as he treaded back to his position at the wall behind the fire. _

_Not daring to make eye-contact, she focused her eyes on the darkness of the den. Seconds seemed to pass by in hours as the following tense silence blanketed them completely. After a few moments, a weary whisper broke Kaoru's thoughts._

"_I'm sorry."_

_She turned her head hesitantly._

"_I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just…I hate…" _

_He paused as if to carefully select his words._

"_Don't call me Battousai. If you need to call me anything, call me Kenshin." _

_Nodding as a response, Kaoru sat pondering the meaning of the young man's name. She whispered it softly under her breath._

"_Kenshin…Heart… of sword…" _

_Feeling the streaks of blood crusting on her temple, Kaoru reached up and rubbed off the burgundy flakes. Staring at the streaks on her fingers, she spoke before she realized it._

"_Does it hurt? Your cut, I mean."_

_She turned her body toward Kenshin and leaned over to get a better look of his cheek. She was suddenly met by his calm face. _

"_No. It doesn't hurt." He lifted his bloody hand and smiled at her. "Anyway, with my hand like this, the cut is my last concern."_

_Seeing Kenshin as gentle as he was before, Kaoru lost her fear and crawled over to him. She stared at the raw skin on his hand._

"_I'm sorry I made you angry." She looked up at him shamefully, "That looks like it hurts a lot."_

_Kenshin smiled lightly._

"_Ah, all is forgotten. I don't blame you for what you said. You were concerned, that's all." He pulled up his sleeve, "As for my hand," he ripped the fabric with his teeth, "As soon as it's wrapped it'll be like new."_

_Watching him placidly wrap his hand, Kaoru suddenly caught sight of the long sheathed object lying propped up against Kenshin's shoulder. _

"_You carry a sword?" _

_Looking up, Kenshin followed her gaze to his shoulder._

"_Why do you—?"_

_He stopped her. _

"_My apologies, Kaoru, but the less you know the better. There are some things that need to be kept secret."_

_Although curious as to why he carried a sword, Kaoru decided from experience to reframe from pursuing topics that the mysterious young man did not want to talk about. _

_She sat back on her heels and watched him continue wrapping his hand. Glancing over at his handsomely chiseled features, she couldn't help feel very intrigued, and somewhat, attached to Kenshin. Even though quite short-tempered and impatient just as many of her father's students had been, Kenshin had truly been nothing but kind to Kaoru. Whenever it seemed she was distressed or afraid, he was always able to comfort her in his gentle way. Further scanning his strong physique and fixed composure, Kaoru saw that the swordsman spirit exuded from him. She couldn't stop thinking if he had once been a student at her father's dojo. _

_Remembering the familial kindness her father's students had shown her as an infant and toddler, Kaoru wondered what it'd be like if Kenshin was her older brother. She began to think of the probability of that actually happening._

_Just as Kenshin finished tying the cloth around his hand, a squeal and grumble echoed through the den. Following the sound of the noise, Kenshin found himself looking at Kaoru's flushed face. _

"_Are you hungry?"_

_She nodded sheepishly. He smiled at her embarrassment._

"_Check the coat's pockets. I may have left something in them that you could eat."_

"_Aren't you hungry too?"_

"_I'm fine. You take care of yourself."_

_Pulling open the flaps of the trench coat, Kaoru reached into the lining's pockets and searched for something to eat. Digging around, her fingers caught something hard. She pulled out the object and found still partially wrapped in a wrapper. Turning the half-eaten bar over and tugging the wrapper to read it, Kaoru's forehead furrowed in puzzlement._

"_Power…bar…chocolate? What's that?"_

_Kenshin looked over._

"_Oh, that? It's an American energy bar." _

_Kaoru stared, confused. "Energy bar? What's that?"_

"_It's a bar that gives you all the nutrition and necessary protein and minerals without a lot of heavy foods."_

"_But… it says chocolate. It's candy right?"_

"_Well, not really but…" he saw that Kaoru only got more puzzled and sighed inwardly._

"_Yes. It's a chocolate candy bar."_

_Her expression lightened and she bit into it. "Mm… I love chocolate."_

_As Kaoru nibbled contently, Kenshin focused his attention to the darkness outside. He cursed himself for not controlling his anger before. The other three Bakufu assassins had probably caught wind of his voice and were on their way to their hideout. _

_Suddenly, he sensed something._

_Glancing up to, in her mind, her brother-to-be, Kaoru's body froze at seeing the abrupt change in Kenshin's demeanor. _

_His face was taut in austere consternation. Something was wrong._

"_Kaoru," His voice was low and cautious. "I want you to remain calm and as quiet as you can."_

_Kaoru immediately stilled._

"_What's… what's happening Kenshin?"_

"_Just stay calm."_

_Kenshin quickly stood up and stepped out the fire. Immediately overcome by darkness, Kaoru nervously dropped the bar on the ground, tightened the coat around her and slowly stood up. _

"_What's wro– ?"_

"_Shh," he whispered, "Stay still. I'll be right back."_

_Kenshin began to stealthily walk of the den when small rapid footsteps trailed behind him. Within less than a second, a little body collided into the back of his legs. Surprised, he looked down. Kaoru's little hands were clasped tightly around his thighs._

"_Wait. Don't go," she whimpered, "I'm scared." _

_Smiling gently, Kenshin reached down to grab her hands and turned around. Kneeling down, he looked at her. Her deeply expressive eyes never ceased to amaze him. She was longing for him to stay with her. _

"_Kaoru. Don't be scared. I'll be back shortly."_

"_But… but what if something happens while you're gone? What if the bad men come? Please don't go, I don't want you to go."_

"_Kaoru, you will be safe here by yourself. If I'm here with you, I can't ensure your safety."_

_Her brows furrowed stubbornly, "But you saved me before—!"_

"_Shh… relax Kaoru. Everything will be alright. Just stay quiet and everything will be alright."_

_Tears were now cascading down her cheeks. "You protected me before. Can't you do it again?"_

_Kenshin sighed. He had grown attached to this sweet girl and did not want to lead the Bakufu's assassins to her. He needed to leave the hideout and lead the men as far away from her as he could. He could already sense their presence in the distance, and if he didn't leave now, Kaoru would be in grave danger. _

_Wishing that they had met under other circumstances, Kenshin sighed and wiped away her tears with his thumb._

"_Kaoru, I can't. Those men are looking for me. I need to lead them away, far away, from you. If I stay here, you'll only get involved."_

_Kaoru shook her head._

"_I don't care if I'm involved. I don't want the bad men to take you away. Please," Kaoru pleaded sorrowfully, "I'm scared. I don't want you to go."_

_Firmly grabbing her shoulders with both arms, Kenshin stared defiantly into her eyes. The intensely warm orbs of amber hypnotized Kaoru into a calm state of passivity. _

"_I have to."_

_Choking out a remorseful sob, she jumped into his arms and buried her head into his shoulder._

"_I don't want you to go…"_

_Holding Kaoru gently as she cried into his shoulder, Kenshin's downcast eyes clouded with regret as he came to a difficult decision. He sighed softly._

"_Kaoru, has anyone ever told you about the fireflies?"_

_She shook her head._

"_When fireflies are larvae, when they're babies, they glow as a warning sign to predators. They glow as to protect themselves." He gently pushed Kaoru off his body so as to see her face, "Kaoru, I want you to be a firefly. Don't be scared. Let your strength be your light and let all the predators know that you are not afraid of them. Your strength is something they can never take away."_

"_But Kenshin, I don't want to be a firefly. I want to stay with you. Please, if you stay I promise I'll be good. I'm sure Dr. Gensai will let you come stay with us. I'm sure of it!"_

_She jumped back into his chest and hugged him. _

"_Please."_

_Knelt still as a stone, Kenshin knew that it was now or never. Kaoru's reaction had been exactly as he had planned._

"_I'm sorry, but I can't. I must go."_

_Her little body froze sadly against him and his hand slowly reached down to her neck. A sad mutter escaped her._

"_Promise me, you'll come back." _

_He rested his hand behind her neck._

"_Kaoru I…"_

_She lifted her head up, "Promise me, you'll come back."_

_Unable to deny a child her hopeful dream, Kenshin regretfully smiled and answered. _

"_I promise."_

_With that last line, he quickly struck a pressure point on the nape of her neck. Kaoru immediately fell limp in his arms. Tightly wrapping his large coat around her little body, Kenshin picked her up and once again placed her on the stone slab at the back of the den. _

"_I'm sorry Kaoru."_

_Turning back to the entrance of the den, the mysterious young man wrapped his hand around the deathly weapon at his waist and disappeared into the night._

_Prelude End._

A/N: So… as it turns out, 'dialogue' isn't exactly my friend (heh). I can't tell you how many times I had to revise this scene to get it somewhat acceptable. I know that this second part of the prelude is much shorter than the first one and left some open ends, but I assure you, once the actual story begins, you'll begin to see the importance of this scene. Oh! And thank you already for the wonderful reviews. They always help me improve and let me know what it is you all like or are curious about. )


	3. Chapter 3

**Quick A/N: April 21, 2006 No need to reread this chapter. I just fixed a stupid mistake. -- heh.**

Disclaimer: I do not own nor have any rights to the Japanese newspapers, terrorist groups, etcetera, mentioned in this chapter.

Rating: PG-13 for language and some harsh themes

Firefly

Chapter 1

Deep within a peaceful slumber, Kaoru felt a feathery velvet flake brush against her skin. As a cool breeze whisked away a section of her long ebony locks, more sweet-smelling velvet particles continued to caress her cheeks. Groaning at nature's subtle advances to wake her, Kaoru stretched herself against the window-frame and sleepily opened her eyes. A pink speck on her nose attracted her attention. Lifting a slender finger to her nose, she flicked off a tiny petal. She heard a woman below exclaim at the beauty and turned her head toward the scenery outside.

Spring had arrived and it was raining cherry blossoms. Children's giggles could be heard echoing between the buildings' alleys, and the rush of the trees against the wind sent tranquil tidings all over the neighborhood. It had been years since Kaoru was able to rest so peacefully against her window and enjoy tranquilities such as the crisp cool air against her skin, and the calm silence in the streets. Ever since the revolution began approximately twelve years ago, everyone was always engulfed in chaos and uncertainty for the future. Fear controlled everyone. People were always running away or hiding in their homes; the nerves of Tokyo, or rather Japan, were always tightly strung. No one could find the simple joys in life and no one could do anything about it.

Sitting up on the windowsill and pushing back her hair with her hands, Kaoru grabbed a ribbon from her desk and tied her silky strands into a high ponytail. Glancing once again outside, she sighed pensively at the irony of her emotions. She was unceasingly glad that the revolution had finally ended and that people could finally begin to live in peace, but she also felt extremely uneasy and uncertain at what the future would bring. Something inside her told her that the battle wasn't won, yet.

A faint calling from downstairs broke her thoughts. It was Dr. Gensai. Kaoru hopped off her window, slid the glass panes closed, and quickly walked out her bedroom door.

"You called me Dr. Gensai?"

The old man's voice was coming from the lower back room.

"Yes, Kaoru dear. Could you come down? I need to talk to you about something."

Curious as to what he would possibly need to talk to her about, she made her way downstairs. As she almost reached the bottom of the stairs, she suddenly heard the clinic doors' bells jingle as someone gently pushed one of them open. Kaoru looked up to see who was entering when a little head popped up from behind the slightly opened door. A little girl with pigtails caught her gaze and beamed.

"Kaoru!"

The tiny girl bolted out from behind the door and sprinted up the stairs. Not particularly expecting anyone to suddenly run up and jump into her, Kaoru barely lost her footing in surprise and gripped onto the railing. She looked down and saw a familiar brunette head buried into her lower stomach.

"Suzume?"

Hearing another jingle and noticing more light illuminating into the clinic's foyer, Kaoru glanced at the doors again and saw another young girl and a tall man walking into the front room. Seeing her younger sister plastered against Kaoru, the girl dashed toward her as well.

"Kaoru!"

Another little body collided into her and two more tiny hands clutched the back of her thighs.

"Suzume? Ayame? I haven't seen you in months! I almost didn't recognize you two! How have you girls been doing?"

The girls answered in high unison and a deep chuckle came from aside the stairs' railing.

"Now how do you girls expect Kaoru to understand anything when you both speak at the same time?"

The two girls almost jumped in excitement at seeing Dr. Gensai and immediately bolted to him as they did to Kaoru. He had heard the commotion in the front of the house and had decided to see who had come in.

"Dr. Gensai! We missed you so mu—We haven't seen you since—Daddy's taking us to see the blossoms—are you gonna com—is Kaoru coming?"

Staring down, slightly flabbergasted, at Ayame and Suzume, Dr. Gensai blinked a few times before letting out a hearty laugh. Amidst the slurred squeals of joy from both girls, he hadn't been able to pick up a single thing they said. He looked towards the door as it was being shut and was surprised to see a very familiar face standing before him. Although still as tall and well-built as he has ever been, the man's tired eyes and speckled gray hair showed the change the past twelve years have had on him.

Kaoru courteously stepped toward the man and offered him something to drink. Grinning gratefully at her, the man agreed to a glass of water. Although he expressed his joy in seeing her after so many years, her slightly confused expression told him that she did not remember him at all. At witnessing her slight embarrassment, he dismissed his comment and watched Kaoru walk away towards the back of the house before turning his smiling self toward Dr. Gensai.

He softly ruffled the young girls' heads and asked them to go help Kaoru in the kitchen. The girls immediately inquired about possible ice-cream treats, where the old doctor assured them that "big-sister" Kaoru would be more than happy to give them some. Making sure that the young girls were out of sight, Dr. Gensai walked over to the chairs by the windows and gestured the man to sit down. The man complied and settled himself next to him.

"It's been a while hasn't it doctor?"

"Ah yes, it definitely has. Why, those girls have grown quite a lot since I last saw them!"

The man grinned proudly.

"Yes yes, they're growing up very quickly. I'm surprised myself at how big they get every time I see them."

"And where is their brother, Yahiko? This was your weekend to take them, was it not Kyosuke?"

Kyosuke was quiet for a moment and, sensing the slight tension, Dr. Gensai quickly tried to appease the situation.

"Oh, I'm…I'm sorry I didn't mean to—"

"No. No, it's alright. You're right. The kids now get to spend the weekends with me, but, the divorce was definitely a difficult one and Yahiko took it very hard. It seems he's still very angry with me."

Dr. Gensai's eyes roamed over his taut features; although his hair was still as dark and disheveled as ever, his burgundy eyes were now clouded with underlying exhaustion. Kyosuke sighed regretfully and turned to look at the doctor.

"I guess… there's no way to fix it this time, is there?"

A pregnant pause fell over them before Dr. Gensai said anything.

"We all make mistakes Kyosuke. Some are so small that they are of little significance, while others change the course of our lives completely." The doctor shifted in his chair and placed his elbows on the arms so that his hands came together casually against stomach. "But regardless of what mistakes we've made, the only thing that we can do is learn from them and move on with our lives. To dwell on them would not make anything better."

"But how Dr. Gensai? _How_ can I move on? I barely get to see my kids anymore, I've lost my marriage, I've lost Naomi, and I may have lost my son! Yahiko hates me. He_ hates_ me!" Kyosuke buried his head into his hands and gripped his messy hair. His voice fell into a self-loathing groan. "I'm such a fucking idiot….such… a fucking idiot."

Dr. Gensai stayed silent for a moment. "An idiot? The last time I checked, Tokyo samurai's were never 'idiots'." He paused. "In fact, they were the most loyal and valiant warriors in all of Japan."

Kyosuke stilled. "The samurai's are dead."

"Ah, but that is only partially true. Their bodies are dead, but their spirits – the swordsman spirit – never dies." He leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and looked out across the room in reminiscence. "Do you remember that night you came pounding on my clinic doors? The night Naomi went into labor with Yahiko?"

Kyosuke slowly dropped his hands and turned his head over. "The night Naomi was in labor?"

"Yes, do you remember that night?"

He stopped and chuckled softly. "Of course I remember it. I don't think I'd ever been so overwrought in my life."

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"Vaguely. My nerves were at such an edge I don't think I even knew what I was doing."

"You told me that what separated us from those that fled from Tokyo, was our refusal to let fear govern our lives. You said we were choosing to live life like it was meant to be lived, and we weren't going to be cowards. We were _not _cowards."

Kyosuke slowly sat up and Dr. Gensai turned his head to meet his gaze.

"Of all the years I had known you, you had always been a very passive and gentle boy; even on your worst days. Never had you spoken to me – or to anyone – that way until that night. Your outburst rendered me completely speechless."

Kyosuke diverted his eyes in shame and Dr. Gensai placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You surprised me. You showed me that night that your descendants' blood still coursed through your veins. You, Kyosuke Myojin, had the heart, the valiance and the strength of your predecessors: the Tokyo Samurai's. In that moment, you had the swordsman spirit."

Kyosuke stilled and the doctor continued.

"Times were very tough back then. After the terrorists unleashed that virus in the war twenty years prior, our country's status as the top technological powerhouse diminished into a third-world nation. Important transportation systems were destroyed, people panicked, and chaos ensued. The Bakufu party stepped in and helped bring some kind of order, but not without afflicting its own oppression upon us." Dr. Gensai paused, "I'm glad you weren't there to witness it all…but," he released his hand and looked away, "unfortunately for all of us, our recovery was much more difficult that we had imagined. Approximately twenty years later, the revolution started and things proceeded to get worse. We all did what we could. Some fled, some stayed. I struggled to take care of Kaoru and the many patients that still needed me here, while you…you had your wife and newborn to feed and to care for. You took on jobs that took you far, far away from your family. You walked those long distances to many dangerous locations just so Naomi and Yahiko would have food on the table…"

Kyosuke shook his head, "But I—"

"But, being gone so long and so often is hard for a man. It is hard for a young man to sacrifice so much. You got lonely, very lonely, and you fell in the first arms that reached out to you…" Kyosuke's head immediately dropped in grave shame; Dr. Gensai turned to look at him. He spoke again with his voice much softer. "Your mistake was human Kyosuke—"

"But I shouldn't have done it! I shouldn't have! Naomi was everything to me… and I gave her up for one night…for one night of—" His voice broke off as he tried to fight back the painful regret welling inside his chest. "I shouldn't have done it…"

"Everyone feels that way about the mistakes they've made. You made a mistake, an unthinkable mistake, but you need to move on with your life and prevent mistakes that have yet to be."

Kyosuke quickly glanced up.

"Mistakes that have yet to be?"

"Anger and hatred are almost always rooted in pain. You said that Yahiko was still very angry with you, did you not?"

He nodded. Dr. Gensai leaned forward and his voice lowered.

"Do not make another unthinkable mistake. Dwelling on the past will not change anything Kyosuke, it does no one good. Focus on preventing the mistakes that yet to be, and become the strong fatherly figure that Yahiko, Ayame and Suzume need. Your relationship with Naomi may be broken, but the one you have with your children is still savable." He fatherly patted him on the back, "The girls may still be too young to realize what has happened, but your son isn't. Release that strong Samurai spirit you showed me all those years ago, and be the man Yahiko needs you to be."

He leaned back into his chair. "Don't let the fear govern you."

Kyosuke felt his body fall into an odd kind of physical and mental paralysis as Dr. Gensai's words rang infinitely through his mind. _Release that strong Samurai spirit you showed me all those years ago… don't let the fear govern you… _Stagnantly glued to his seat and drowned in the loud pulsations of his heart, he found it very difficult to breathe or feel. He was numb in epiphany.

…_Be the man Yahiko needs you to be…_

Putting the last cookie next to the candies and arranging them in rows, Kaoru placed the last plate onto the tray and finished her setting. She reached over to grab the few straws that she had placed on the countertop and stuck them into the tall glasses. Stepping back to get a better look at her work, she smiled. What had originally been a quick trip to the kitchen for some water became more of a quick 'art' project. After handing Ayame and Suzume the ice-cream pops they had asked for, Kaoru suddenly felt very inspired by the ice-treats' many colored swirls to bring more to her guest than just a simple glass of water. First it was a glass of lemonade, then there were some vibrantly-colored straws, and finally some crackers and sweets were added to the equation.

Having devoured their popsicles only moments after receiving them, Ayame and Suzume were very quick to see what Kaoru had prepared for them on the tray. Gripping onto the edge of the countertop and pulling themselves up to see, the girls' eyes bulged with delight at seeing the array treats Kaoru had laid out. Next to the five glistening glasses of lemonade were two plates lying in the center of the tray covered with large chocolate and vanilla cookies, various fruit and crème candies, small caramel nougats, and many other milk chocolate sweets.

Ayame turned her amazed eyes towards Kaoru.

"Wow Kaoru… Where did you get all these candies?"

Kaoru smiled. "One of Dr. Gensai's older patients loves them and always brings us a bunch whenever she visits," she reached over their heads and grabbed the tray's handles, "She brings so many every time she comes that we can't ever finish them all. Usually we just give them to our younger patients after an exam, but I thought that this would be a perfect occasion to set some out."

Smiling at the excited girls, she picked up the tray and carefully walked out of the kitchen. Turning the corner and walking pass the staircase, she made her way to the clinic's front room.

She smiled sheepishly at Dr. Gensai's surprised expression.

"Ehm… I hope it's alright if I brought out some cookies and lemonade." She walked over and placed the tray on the center table. She then turned to the man next to Dr. Gensai, "I know you said water was fine, but I thought that maybe lemonade would be much more… refreshing." Kaoru paused to wait for some kind of a response from him, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere and didn't even realize she was talking to him.

Dr. Gensai's eyes scanned the many candies that were set out.

"My goodness, you've really outdone yourself as a hostess this time, Kaoru!" She replied only with another sheepish smile and a flushed face.

"Daddy! Aren't these great!"

Suzume jumped in front of the man and waved a chocolate cookie in front of him. He suddenly snapped out of his trance and looked at the smiling face before him.

"Daddy, look it! Kaoru got these treats for us."

His face was blank for a moment. It seemed as though it took a while for him to register what was happening in his head. He blinked a couple times before smiling gently at his little girl.

"That was really nice of her. Did you say thank you?"

Suzume shook her head. Before he could say anything, she turned her head and beamed at Kaoru.

"Thank you Kaoru!"

The man chuckled softly and patted her on the head, "Alright, that's a good girl."

Kaoru observed the man as he watched little Suzume turn around and bound back to the table. With a new odd stiffness in his expressions and a slight lack of color in his face, she couldn't help but feel that his mannerisms weren't coming naturally to him. He seemed detached; as if something was bothering him or distracting him.

Kaoru moved over to a chair on the opposite side of the room. She couldn't remember him acting this way when he arrived; what was Dr. Gensai and him talking about during the short time she was in the kitchen? Had something happened?

As the girls began to chatter away with their mouths full of treats, a sudden beep and vibrating sound emitted through the air. Somewhat fallen into a daydream, Kaoru slightly jumped at the sound. The girls' father immediately reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He looked on the small LCD screen on the front of his phone before stuffing it back into his pocket.

He stood up and turned to Dr. Gensai and Kaoru.

"I'm sorry for such a terribly short stay, but the girls and I need to be off. Ayame and Suzume's friend, Nozomi, and her parents invited us to a hanami party today and they've just paged."

"But daddy… we just got here! Can't we stay longer?"

"I'm sorry girls, but you wouldn't want to be late for Nozomi's party do you?"

They're heads dropped slightly. "…no."

The man looked over at Kaoru and then Dr. Gensai. "I'm sorry about this…"

Kaoru smiled understandingly and got up as well.

"It's alright, don't worry about it. We're glad you came regardless if it was only for a little while."

Ayame and Suzume looked up at her and then their father.

"Can Kaoru come with us? I'm sure Nozomi wouldn't mind daddy!"

"Well Ayame…"

"Oh please daddy! Pretty please?"

Kyosuke didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to abruptly reject the idea of Kaoru going incase he might offend her, but he also didn't want to agree to bringing a guest that wasn't invited to the get-together. Seeing his uncomfortable hesitance as to how to answer, Kaoru went over and crouched down in front of Ayame.

"Thank you so much for the invitation, but I'm afraid I have some important things I have to do here. How about you bring some of those candies along with you as compensation?"

"But Kaoru—"

"I'm sure your friend Nozomi will be very happy if you brought some to her party, don't you think?"

Ayame hesitantly nodded. Kaoru went to the kitchen to grab a small bag and came back to fill it with the treats.

The following moments continued accordingly; both Dr. Gensai and Kaoru courteously walked their guests to the door and comforted the reluctant girls by assuring them that they would be seeing each other again very soon. Although Ayame and Suzume were still upset in leaving after only such a short stay, they were satisfied enough with the treats Kaoru gave them and soon ceased their whines. As everyone bowed to one another and said their farewells, Kaoru caught a quick and subtle exchange of 'looks' between the old doctor and the man. Although even more curious as to what had occurred during the short time they were together, she kept her inquiries to herself.

Closing the doors after their guests had left, Kaoru stood for a moment before walking over to clean up the drinks and food. Half expecting Dr. Gensai to return to his usual businesses, she was a little surprised when he casually walked to his bedroom, returned to his seat and sat down. Picking up some candy wrappers, she looked up curiously.

"Is something the matter Kaoru?"

Immediately breaking eye-contact, she continued cleaning up.

"Oh… uh, no. Nothing's the matter."

"Well then, when you're done, come back here and we can have our chat."

Kaoru's brow furrowed thoughtfully before suddenly remembering the reason she came downstairs.

"That's right, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes dear, I do. But please, take your time. What I have to say will take a while and I'd prefer to do it when you're not busy."

She picked up her tray and walked to the kitchen. Eager to hear what Dr. Gensai wanted to talk to her about and not particularly wanting to 'take her time', Kaoru quickly cleaned the dishes and put the treats away; she was back in the front room and on a chair within moments.

"So," she pulled her legs up onto the chair, "what is it you wanted to talk about Dr. Gensai?"

He reached over to his side and pulled out a piece of paper. Apparently this was what he went to get from his bedroom. He flipped the sheet over so that the front showed, and stuck it out to Kaoru. She immediately knew what it was and took it from his hands.

"This… is my entrance exam results."

"Yes. I found them the other day in your room. I had gone in to drop off some of your done laundry when I saw that you had dropped some pens on the floor. I went over to pick them up, and when I went to put them away in your desk drawer… I found that paper."

As Kaoru's eyes scanned over the numbers on the sheet, the doctor continued.

"It's been a while since I had children of my own and, with such a busy schedule all the time, I had forgotten about such things as universities and college exams. I just never realized how much you had grown." He turned to look at her, "Why didn't you tell me about this Kaoru? Why didn't you tell me about your results?"

Her eyes stayed glued to the page before her as a million different thoughts flooded her mind. She knew where this conversation was going and dreaded it immensely. What was she going to say to him? She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell him the truth either. Opening her mouth as if to say something – anything – Kaoru realized that she really didn't know what to say. She shifted her eyes from the doctor to the paper and from the paper to the doctor.

"I… I…"

Seeing her a little distraught as to what to say, Dr. Gensai placed his elbow onto the arm of the chair and cupped his chin with his finger. He watched her fidget under his sight and became very confused as to why she would ever derive any sort of shame or discomfort in showing him her exam results.

"Kaoru," his concerned voice caught her attention and her eyes snapped up to his, "I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. I'm just curious as to why you would not want to show me your results." His brought his hand down from his chin and tapped the paper. "Your score is only several points short of perfect. It's the highest I've ever seen. Why didn't you show me this before?"

Kaoru looked down; her fingers were gripping onto the paper so tightly that they dented and creased the sheet. Dr. Gensai's questions echoed through her mind. _Why didn't you show me this before?... _

'_Because,'_ she wanted to scream, _'I'm not ready yet. I'm not ready to go yet.'_

Her eyes roamed over each of the printed black lines on the paper and felt almost insulted that such minute amounts of ink printed on a blank piece of paper affected her life so much.

'_I don't want to leave here yet…I can't…'_

The touch of two weathered hands suddenly on hers halted her thoughts.

"Why didn't you show me this before Kaoru?" he repeated, "I don't understand why you would feel you needed to keep this from me," he chuckled softly, "I mean, I'm so proud of you. I'm _so_ proud of you."

Dr. Gensai sat back in his chair and brought his hands back to his lap. "You've always wanted to attend Tokyo University, isn't that right? You want to become a writer? Or maybe a journalist?" she nodded almost solemnly and he laughed proudly, "Well… here's your chance Kaoru! With that score… you'll soar through the process, and this time next year, you'll be a TouDai student!"

He laughed heartily at, what should be, a very joyous occasion. However, seeing Kaoru's uncertain disposition remain the same after such encouragement was voiced bothered the old man. His guffaws died down and his brows furrowed with concern. After a few quiet moments, he placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up. There was a longing in her eyes; a longing to speak out. The doctor sighed, what was going on in that girl's head?

"My dear, what's wrong? Don't you want to go to TouDai?"

She nodded slightly.

"So, then, what's the problem?"

She was silent for a long time.

"He's… he's not back yet." Her voice was a mere whisper.

"Back? Who do you mean? Kaoru," he firmly grabbed both her shoulders so that her eyes were set with his, "if you mean your father. I'm… I'm terribly sorry but I told you a long time ago what happened. We already know what happened to him. He –"

She shook her head, "no, not him."

He was confused. "Well, who then Kaoru? Who are you waiting for?"

A barrage of memories bombarded her mind as she tried to remember who it was, exactly, she was waiting for. She remembered a night, a night long ago, and how a million tiny lights captivated her view. She remembered the darkness and the warmth. She remembered a voice, a soothing voice, and a comforting touch, but a face and name seemed to have fallen absent from her mind. She only remembered that night's significance to her childhood and all the emotions that came with it: the fear, the desperation, the comfort, and the hope. But, why? Why did she have this unrelenting urge to see this mysterious man again, and wait for him, when she couldn't even remember his face?

She sighed and mentally answered her own question; she remembered a calloused hand against her cheek and the thumb that brushed away her tears. His touch had burned itself into her.

"I don't know."

Dr. Gensai wasn't sure if he heard right. "What?"

"I… don't know."

"You don't know who you're waiting for? My dear, you can't postpone your future because you're waiting for something or someone. Time does not wait for anyone and if you don't seize this moment, it will pass you by." She stayed silent and the doctor sighed, exasperated.

"Kaoru, I don't understand what's going on with you but," he paused, "I'm not getting old. I _am_ old. And I don't know when the time might come for me to have to leave you. I want to secure your future. I know you wanted to stay here and help my old self maintain the clinic but, after I saw your exam results, I realized that you were made for so much more than this. You were made for bigger things."

He reached to his side once again and grabbed out a different set of papers.

"I know that this small clinic and I couldn't possibly pay for TouDai tuition, especially in this day and age, but…" he brought the papers in front of Kaoru, "I know that if I sold the Kamiya property your father left you, I'm sure it would be more than enough to pay for it all."

Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise as she reached out and grabbed the old stack of papers.

"Dr. Gensai… I… You… You can't sell it. You can't."

The doctor knew this was coming.

"I know this isn't something you wanted to do but—"

"No, I'm sorry Dr. Gensai. But if me going to TouDai means that we'll have to sell my father's dojo and the house… then I won't do it." She stood up. "I refuse to."

Tears began to cascade down her cheeks.

"Kaoru, you – or anyone for that matter – has not even lived there for twelve years. After those arsonists burnt half of the house and dojo down all those years ago, that place hasn't been inhabitable. It was only under your father's early discouragement and your adamant protests that prevented me from selling it all this time. " He stood up and walked towards her. "I was worried for so long as to how much time it would take before we could no longer maintain it; but now that we've spent almost all of the funds your parents left you in sustaining the property… we need to let it go."

"My dad must've had a good reason for telling you not to sell it. He must've had a good reason!"

He sighed. "But, dear, that was before it was burnt down. You're father left before all that had happened."

The way Kaoru's lips quivered as the tears unceasingly flowed from her eyes tore at his heart.

"I know that that place holds great sentimental value for you, but it's time to let go. I don't know what you're waiting for or what's holding you back but, as your legal guardian, I need to secure your future."

Kaoru reluctantly brought her somber eyes to his and saw that tears were also forming at the brim of his eyes. He smiled and placed his hand on her cheek.

"When I came home that one night and saw that you weren't in the house… I swear I thought the worst had happened." A tear rolled down his face, "I looked everywhere, and anywhere I could for you and even asked for help. When hours passed and I still couldn't find you…" he paused as the painful feeling of failure pierced his heart, "…if those nice young men hadn't brought you to me that night… I don't know what I would've done."

He reached down to her hands and pulled them up.

"I almost broke my promise to your father that night. I told him I was going to take good care of you and I didn't."

"Dr. Gensai… it wasn't your fault—"

He smiled kindly and took the papers from her hands.

"Kaoru, I don't want to make that mistake again. I want to make sure that when I'm gone, you'll be alright. These papers," he held them up, "will do that; all that land is worth a lot in Tokyo today. And, with your test score, we can also use that money to send you to college."

He shuffled to the table and placed the papers down. Turning around, he wiped his tears and looked at Kaoru.

"I know this is a lot for you to take in right now but… Please. Please consider this."

With that, he quietly walked out of the room; leaving Kaoru alone to stare at the papers.

She didn't know how long she stared at them before she finally made her way to her room. Maybe she had immediately run up the stairs after the doctor left the room, or maybe she stood there, frozen for hours, until she could move. She didn't know. Her mind and body were overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions; they were all thrumming inside her head and beating against one another. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew that there was infinite truth in his words. She knew that the money in selling the property would help not only her and her future, but it'd also ease his worries. She knew that the money would help her pursue her early dreams of attending Tokyo University and that it would get her far, but…

What about _him_? What about her urge to see _him_ again? Uncertain as to what derived her desire, Kaoru could only play off of the feelings that came with her memories. She knew that it was stupid to wait for something that may never come back, she had learned that with her father, but nonetheless she continued to hold onto the hope that maybe he'd come back. That maybe, one day, she'll see him and feel the same way she did all those years ago. She wanted nothing more than to feel that comfort again, to feel the comfort only that young man could give.

With her glazed eyes, she looked over at the foot of the bed where the old stack of papers lied askew.

And, what about her intuition? Could she ignore it? Her intuition had always told her that they should never sell the house and dojo, it always told her that something was still to be done about that place. Dr. Gensai had told her before that her father said that he shouldn't sell the property unless under desperate circumstances, but was never told why her dad had the reluctance to do so. 'I don't understand,' Dr. Gensai would say, 'I don't understand why he would be so ardent to keeping it. He was so… stern with me not to sell it. I don't understand.'

Although the doctor had thought of many plausible reasons behind why he wouldn't want to sell the property, Kaoru always had a hunch that there was more to it then the simple 'because-he-worked-hard-for-it' explanation. She remembered him being a very formidable and stalwart man, and thus greatly doubted him placing so much importance on something as materialistic as their home. He always emphasized the character of the person and his morals as most important in life, not what he owned or what his social status was.

She stretched out her hand and pulled the papers toward her.

'So then why,' she thought, 'why would our dojo and home matter so much to you daddy?'

The light emitting from the window suddenly dimmed and Kaoru looked over. The sky was blood red and shaded with violet, the clouds reflected orange and magenta as the sun began to set. Getting up from the bed, she made her way towards the window. Reaching to the edge of one of the panes, she pulled aside the glass and leaned out the window. The narrow street on her side of the building was empty.

'I need to found out why.'

A surge of determination embraced her body and soul. She wanted – no – she _needed_ to find out why her father wanted to keep the house so badly. She had to know the truth.

Walking over to her closet, she opened it and grabbed her hello-kitty bank. She turned it upside down, popped the rubber cork open, and poured the money out onto the floor. Counting the money and stuffing it into her wallet, she went back into the closet and pulled out all her pants. She tied all the pant legs together and then proceeded to pull out a miniature shinai her father had given to her as a child. She went to her dresser, grabbed a roll of pink ribbon and unraveled it. She tied the ribbon tightly on one side of the shinai and tied a pant leg onto the other. Grabbing the shinai and walking over to her desk, she pushed it closer to the window and lodged the shinai at an angle between the windowsill and the desk. Making sure the ribbon end was facing down, she flung both the long chain of pants and the ribbon over the edge of the window.

Kaoru walked back to grab her small backpack, in which she stuffed some candies and important items that she kept in her room, and put it on. Cleaning up the mess around her closet and her room, she climbed off the window and began to carefully climb down the side of the building. Grateful that she only lived on the second floor, she got to the ground quickly and grabbed onto the ribbon dangling beside her. She tugged on it as hard as she could. Back up in the room, the other end of the shinai snapped upwards and dislodged itself from the window and the desk; both chains of fabric and the shinai came flying out from the window and landed next to Kaoru. She quickly picked up everything, untied the fabric, placed the shinai into her small backpack, and stuffed everything in some nearby bushes.

Checking to see that the close was clear, she ran towards the direction of the Kamiya dojo.

Only on the other end of the street, Kaoru was in front of two large metal doors within moments. Her eyes scanned up to the top and saw that the Kamiya-Dojo sign had decayed so much that it now hung on one hinge. She didn't remember ever seeing the place in such a condition. Looking back over to the large doors and the rusted chain and lock that held them together, she realized that everything had corroded so much that the doors' once nice paint-job had chipped off and rusted the metal beneath. Even the deteriorating chains and the lock looked like they would fall apart.

Stepping forward and lifting up the chain and lock, Kaoru pushed against one of the metal doors. It didn't move. She pushed harder and the door shifted slightly. Pushing it again and again until it began to budge, Kaoru felt the door skid along the dirt covered ground until the chain stopped it from opening further. Seeing that the gap the door gave was big enough for her to get through, she took off her backpack, squeezed through, and then, once inside, reached back out and pulled her bag over to the other side. Brushing off the flakes of paint and rust the door had left on her clothes, Kaoru turned around and glanced up at the large house before her.

Seeing it made her breath catch in her throat.

The memory of her father's once grandiose dojo, garden, and home, was suddenly stripped away from her mind as she stared at the putrid building before her. The once glorious place her family called home was now replaced by a dismally corroded, burnt, and decaying set of metal and wood frames holding up a sooty blue roof. Plants from the garden grew over a stone well in the far corner and looked like they'd taken root in the house's decomposing infrastructure. With the exception of a few walls that were still in tact, Kaoru could see through the majority of the house.

Slowly walking towards the shambles, she began to doubt the idea that she may find anything in the darkness of the building. Everything was either burnt away, about to break off, or was covered in charcoal-black residue. Carefully stepping up onto the patio and walking in, Kaoru slowly began encircling the rooms. Gently running her hands over the wooden posts, she tried to remember which room was which. Was that room her parents' bedroom, or hers? Was this space for guests, or was it the living room? Without the walls and items inside of the house, she couldn't recall how anything was.

Cautiously walking to the other side of the house, she stepped onto a large open space that had a pitch-black floor. Looking down and seeing that the floor had been replaced by broken cinders and ashes, Kaoru assumed that it was the dojo. The once perfectly laid bamboo hardwood had been burnt into chunks of charcoal. She scanned the room and felt a painful tinge of sorrow squeeze her chest. She realized everything – truly everything – was gone. The Dojo's kamiza alter in the front was no longer there and the many names of students that used to hang on the wall were gone.

Kaoru's hand gripped onto the sooty post beside her and slid down to her knees.

"Everything…"

Her realization had suddenly unveiled the most profound emptiness she had ever felt. She began to cry and couldn't stop.

"Everything's gone…."

She covered her face with her other hand and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her home, her father's legacy, her family, all that Kaoru had ever hoped to salvage were crushed in an instant. Although she knew the house was burned twelve years ago, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes till that day. Everything had been disintegrated by the flames and absolutely nothing was left. She knew she couldn't move back into this place, it was destitute and dead. She choked on a breath as she realized what the emptiness meant. It meant that she'd _never_ know. She would _never_ know the reason why her father wanted to keep the house, and she would _never_ know if her intuition was right or wrong all along.

There was so much nothingness inside and around her that Kaoru began wheezing harshly. She needed to get some fresh air.

Trying to pull her defeated self together, Kaoru slowly got up. Turning around and beginning to walk away from the dojo, she heard a shuffle from her back. She had completely forgotten that she had brought her backpack with her. Thoughtful for a short moment, she decided to take off the bag and zip it open. She felt like wanting to leave her family's home less empty than when she came.

Pulling out her small shinai, Kaoru turned back towards the dojo and stepped onto the black chunks that were the floor. Getting to the center and kneeling down, she brushed aside some large pieces of cinder and placed the shinai down. Not wanting to stay much longer, Kaoru stood up and turned again to walk out.

In an instant, the sky darkened and she felt a chill run down her spine. The sorrow that she had was immediately replaced by a strange, fearful uneasiness in her stomach and Kaoru started to quickly walk toward where her bag lied. Suddenly, an enormous gust of wind blew through the house and knocked her over. Unable to stay stationary against the wind, the shinai was flipped up into the air and thrown across the room. A loud crack could be heard as it slammed into a burnt wooden post and knocked off a large chunk of wood. As the harsh wind continued to blow through the house, Kaoru instinctively crawled over to another post and covered her head. She braced herself for the possibility of the dojo falling apart on her, but nothing happened. The wind and the darkness left as abruptly as they came, and the room became as silent as it was before.

Wondering about the odd change in weather, Kaoru carefully lifted her head up and looked around her. Except for the broken post and shinai on the other end of the dojo, everything stayed the same. Still very unnerved by what had happened, she cautiously walked over to where the shinai laid and knelt down. It was broken in two and the bamboo and handle pieces were stripped into small shards.

Sighing frustratingly, Kaoru grabbed the two broken pieces. They scraped against something hard. Curious as to what it was, Kaoru lifted them up and looked underneath. She noticed that something lustrous was lying beneath the dirt and ashes. Placing the broken shinai aside for a moment, Kaoru brought her hand down onto the object and began brushing away the burnt debris. The object was hard and cool, it had a rough feeling of rusted metal.

Kaoru began to regain her hope and wiped her eyes. Maybe she had found something important.

After several moments of brushing aside and pulling away chunks of wood, Kaoru uncovered a medium-sized metal box with an old lock on it. She pulled the box out from the floor and blew the dust off the top. The top of the lid was deformed and looked like it had melted a little during the fire. Running her fingers over the front, she saw that there were no inscriptions or images on the box. It was a simple metal container.

Curious as to why something like this would be buried under the floor boards, Kaoru tried to open it. The lid didn't budge. She reached over to grab one of the shinai halves and struck the lock with it. Needing only one strike, the old lock snapped off easily. Kaoru's heart raced as she began to open the lid. Could this be what it was she was looking for? Could this be it?

The metal lid squeaked open and Kaoru peered inside.

Within the metal box were many old yellow newspaper clippings. She reached in to carefully to pull some papers out when she noticed a little envelope hidden underneath a couple small clippings. Her fingers brushed aside the pieces of paper and pulled out the envelope; her eyes widened at what she read on the front.

_Kaoru._

Feeling her hands begin to perspire as she nervously fingered the envelope, Kaoru inhaled deeply and flipped it over. Seeing that the envelope wasn't glued shut, she carefully flipped open the flap and gently pulled out the folded sheet within. Unfolding the letter, she gasped as she read the date.

_July 18, 2033_

The letter was written the day before her father left.

Having difficultly to focus with her heart beating in her ears, Kaoru swallowed and continued reading the letter.

**July 18, 2033**

**My Dearest Kaoru,**

**I am greatly hoping that this letter and package will fall into your grasp and not of the wrong hands. I cannot begin to describe how difficult it is for me to tell you my deepest secrets, but I feel that if anyone has a right to know it should be you. Although I am very relieved to finally be able to speak about what I've kept inside for the past twenty years, I am also hoping that the war will have already ended for a long while before you have laid eyes on this. My instinct to protect you is unrelenting, and it is making it very complicated for me to say any of this to you. What I am about to tell you, or rather show you, is something I had long dreaded to shine any light on. **

**It is universally known that every father's hope consists of that his child will see him as the great man he strives to be. I've wanted to make you proud, my daughter, but I see that fate may not let that happen for me. I have to leave you my dear. I have to leave you. It is this agonizing thought that has driven me to write you this letter. I do not want you to think that I had abandoned you. I do not want you to think that I don't love you. You are my pride and joy Kaoru, and nothing would ever change that. However, many horrible events are brewing in Kyoto once again and I must answer my calling. I do not have much time to write more of what I wish, so I leave the rest for you to see.**

**What I'm about to do will not be easy for me, for both of us, but I want you to know that I love you and always will. I wish and hope that one day we'll see each other again and that you'll find some way to understand what it is I have done, but if that doesn't happen, I want you to know that I am proud of you and that I have, and will, always love you.**

**Love daddy, **

**Daisuke Kamiya**

Kaoru read the letter over and over again. A new weight formed in her stomach as she realized that she was about to uncover something no one, possibly not even her mother, knew about her father. Her breathing became unsettled rasps as she felt her mind become separate from her body. She had never been more nervous in her life.

_What I am about to tell you, or rather show you, is something I had long dreaded to shine any light on. _

Feeling distant, or rather numb, from the whole situation, Kaoru shakily placed the letter down and slowly reached back into the box. Carefully pulling out the many crinkled newspaper clippings, she began reading them. All of them were headlines from Japan's top newspapers.

**Asahi Shimbun**

**January 12, 2012**

"… **At 4:00AM, in Sapporo, Hokkaido, eight different car bombs went off in the busy street corners of Funabashi, Ichikawa, and Inage-ku. There was one casualty and fifteen critically injured. Officials do not know yet who or what group is responsible for these attacks, but there is a belief by many that the long time Japanese Terrorist group, the Nihon Sekigun, is the true culprit behind the attacks…"**

**Tokyo Shimbun**

**March 3, 2012**

"… **There was a threat on Prime Minister Iemitsu's life today at the top of the Tokyo tower. A large flag was hung over the tower stating the threat to assassinate him and was signed by the NS…"**

**Asahi Shimbun**

**August 23, 2012**

"…**At noon this morning, four members of the Nihon Sekigun hijacked a Tokyo subway train and killed many civilians while doing so. They derailed the train ten kilometers from the Tokyo station and set a bomb on it. At 1:36pm, the bomb exploded and all 258 passengers of the car were killed. It is believed that this was an act of revenge against the federal officials for refusing their demands earlier this month. The four culprits, unfortunately, got away…"**

**Nihon Keizai Shimbun**

**November 28, 2012**

"…**Officials have started to take the Nihon Sekigun's threats seriously and have begun to take major precautions in preventing any national terrorist attacks. Last month, the NS's leader, Tetsuya Shiromoki, stated that they will have an all out attack on the national government and bring chaos to all of Japan…"**

**Yomiuri Shimbun**

**January 12, 2013**

"… **Last night, the Terrorist Group, Nihon Sekigun, unleashed the strongest computer virus the nation has ever encountered. So far, the virus has reconfigured the major transportation systems and has shut down most of Kyoto's power. Since then, the parliament building in Kyoto has lost all sources of power and all the streets have been cloaked in darkness. In a matter of hours, rampant chaos engulfed the West Coast of Japan and many people are already reporting riots occurring throughout the capital city. Energy continues to get shut down as the virus spreads throughout the country. There is a belief that a war against the terrorists will begin, and the new political party, Bakufu, has taken the stand in doing so…"**

Kaoru's horrified eyes scanned the clippings repeatedly. Her father had written to her that he was about to show her something he had long dreaded to let anyone know; was it because he was part of the Terrorist attacks? Was he part of the Nihon Sekigun? She shook her head and cursed at herself for even thinking such things. Her father was a man of great honor and class; he would never be part of something as crude as the Nihon Sekigun.

Looking back into the box, Kaoru noticed a small leather book bound in hemp string lying in the bottom. She reached in and pulled it out. The old book's cover was of worn rich-black leather, and the spine was made of a type of bamboo hardwood. Kaoru turned the book on its edge and fingered the engravings on the spine. Reading the kanji calligraphy carved on the spine, she realized that the scripture wasn't Japanese, but rather a Chinese proverb.

"Be not afraid of growing slowly… be afraid only of standing still…"

Reading further down the spine, she noticed a small scratched word added to the spine. It neither seemed part of the original design nor professionally added. Bringing the book closer to her face, Kaoru's eyes widened at what she read.

"Kamiya…"

She immediately knew that she was holding her father's journal.

Quickly untying the string and unraveling it, Kaoru flipped it open. The book instantly fell open to the section marked by the red string-bookmark attached to the book's binding.

**January 12, 2013**

**Ryouta came to work today acting quite strangely. He looked like he had ripped out sections of his hair, his face was ghastly pale, and his eyes were bulging out from their sockets. He looked like a complete mess. I went up to ask him what had happened to him, but he didn't respond. Instead, he pulled me out across the room and into his cubicle, all while shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't make out half the things he said, some things about terrorism and stealing some item, and I told him that he should calm down. It turns out that it apparently wasn't the best thing I should've said since he lost it even more and started screaming incoherent nonsense. I attempted to calm him down, though in vain, and as a response he shoved a tiny USB flash drive with a tissue into my hands before bolting out the door. It was the strangest behavior I've ever seen. I asked several of our co-workers if they knew what was wrong, but no one knew. He had arrived minutes ago and left just as abruptly. **

**In all the years Ryouta's been my best friend, I had never seen him act that way. He was such a genius when it came to so many things in life, not just computer engineering, that the company we worked for always made sure to take good care of him. He always knew how to cope with business and social settings, and he always knew how to write the perfect program for our firm. He was a great man and a great friend. I don't know what happened to him; it wasn't like him to act that way. After he left, I stuck the USB flash drive and the sheet of tissue into my pocket. I still haven't looked at it yet. The lights have just gone out in Kyoto and it's hard to see with only my flashlight. I think I'll check out the things he gave me after I find out what's happened to all of the lights.**

**January 15, 2013**

**I don't have much time to write so I'll try to make it fast. It seems that the Bakufu party is after me. After I discovered the reason behind the blackout three days ago, I quickly went to see what it was that Ryouta had given me. I went to test the flash drive on my laptop but it wouldn't even turn on. The virus the terrorists unleashed has rewired and reprogrammed every large technological advances that we have. Anything wired into commercial and government resources have been cut off completely. After realizing my computer didn't work, I grabbed and opened the crinkled piece of tissue Ryouta had given me. Maybe he had written something helpful on it. I read the sheet and could only stare in confusion. What was going on? He wrote: 'Daisuke. You know the password. They're after me. Don't let them get the V. I'm sorry.' I didn't understand what it meant at first, but after I read the newspaper the next day, I found out that the terrorists had already been caught by the Bakufu party's hired officials and have confessed to no longer having the viral file with them. There was no fixing what they've released and apparently the disk containing the virus was stolen. I immediately thought of the V written in Ryouta's letter, and I went to try to find him amidst all the chaos. But he was no where to be found. It wasn't until last night that I found out what happened to him. A good neighbor of ours growing up found me on Nishioji Street and told me that Ryouta's body was found lying next to the road heading towards Kobe. He had run off after that day at the office, and someone or some group found him. There was evidence that he was murdered. Many think that deranged rioters killed him, but I have a hunch that it wasn't them at all. Something strange is going on and I need to get this V as far as I can from Kyoto. I've packed everything I need and I'm about to go and get Mae. I don't know where we're going, but we have to get out of Kyoto. Mae and I have to get out.**

"Mae… Mae Kamiya…" Kaoru whispered her name, "Mom…"

She reached over with her shaking hand and turned the page. The next entry wasn't written until twenty years later.

**July 17, 2033**

**They've found me. After twenty years, they've found me. They came last night when Kaoru had already gone to bed. They drilled me with questions and demanded for me to give them what Ryouta stole twenty years ago. I, of course, denied the request in which they returned with a number of threats; one, targeting Kaoru. I told them again that I knew nothing about it, but when they motioned to go to Kaoru's bedroom… I couldn't help it and confessed. The Bakufu told me that the Choshu 'rebels' were going to try and overthrow them and they needed me, and the virus Ryouta stole twenty years ago to prevent that from happening. They needed me because I was the only other person that wasn't dead that knew the password to release the Virus. In wanting to protect Kaoru, I've agreed to go with them, however, the virus will not be coming with me. I will be leaving for Kyoto two days from now and I've spoken to our good neighbor Dr. Gensai to watch over my dear girl. I've told him to not sell the house under any other circumstances than those relating to the safety of Kaoru. I'm going to hide the USB drive and everything connected to it. I know that after they kill me in trying to find out where it is, they're going to come to Tokyo to search for it. **

**I hope they burn the house.**

Kaoru struggled to breath as her body shook uncontrollably; she felt her heart beating in profound pulsations as her nerves stood on end. Her eyes subconsciously scanned over the same lines over and over again.

…_I know that after they kill me in trying to find out where it is…they're going to come to Tokyo…_

… _I hope they burn the house…_

She remembered Dr. Gensai tell her all those years ago that no one knew where her father was. No one knew where he went or where he could've gone. He was missing in action. But now everything had taken a drastic turn. Her father hadn't gone off to fight in the revolution, he had lied to Dr. Gensai. The Bakufu government threatened him to leave, killed him and then covered it up as a soldier missing in action.

Looking at the dismal debris around her, Kaoru felt an indescribable anger and hatred boiled within her chest. The Bakufu had been the one to take her dad away from her, they were the ones that burnt her house, and they were the ones that ruined all her hopes and dreams. They killed everything. Her father hadn't done anything disgraceful; if anything, he did the most honorable thing. He walked into the Kyoto without the virus, knowing that he'd be killed. He walked into death so he could protect his country from another war.

Gripping onto the journal as hot tears burned her eyes; Kaoru screamed angrily as she threw the book. She buried her face into her soot covered hands and swore repeatedly.

Even after all the precautions her father made, another war still ravaged the nation. The Bakufu unleashed other weapons that they had hidden and fought for years against the Choshu. Fires burned in the streets of Kyoto, and chaos cloaked Japan once again. Everything her father had done to try to prevent another civil war had been in vain.

The journal flew across the room and slammed into the post across from her. A small object flew out from the book and landed right next to it.

Kaoru looked up and saw it wrapped in tissue. Her heart sank.

Sniveling, she scrambled over to where the object lay and picked it and the book up. She opened the book and saw that after the last entry was written, a hole was carved out of the pages. It looked large enough to fit something small. Turning her attention to the small wrapped item in her hand, she unwrapped it. Her body froze as she saw what lay in her hand.

It was a black USB flash drive with a tissue covering.

The writing on the sheet bore into Kaoru's soul.

"…_Daisuke. You know the password. They're after me. Don't let them get the V. I'm sorry…"_

A/N: Wow, that was a long ass chapter. I thought about splitting it up like I did with the prelude, but decided against it. I hope you guys enjoyed it. There a few things like the Nihon Sekigun, Hanami, etc. that you can look up if you don't know what they are. I'm trying to make this more believable/authentic. Anyway, if you liked it… please review!

A/N PS: I like to put subtleties into my work, so if you feel you've missed something or don't get a part. Try rereading from the first chapter, hopefully you'll catch something you didn't the first time and everything will make much more sense. Thank you!


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